Christian Louboutin makes some of the world's most beautiful shoes — but at a steep, steep price. You'd be lucky to find a pair of his red-soled pumps at retail for around $700, some of his most elegant and elaborate pieces cost several times more.

That's the standard high fashion story, but recently, more and more luxury designers have been lending their skill and eye to fast fashion and high street labels, creating on-brand capsule collections at mid-range prices.

If you've been holding out hope for the man behind the red soles to get on the collaboration bandwagon, you're out of luck. In an interview with Grazia's Style Director, Paula Reed, at the Design Museum in London, Louboutin made it very clear that he was happy working in the luxury sector and isn't interested in the quality constraints of high street retail. The designer said he was approached by H&M, but he turned down their (presumably generous) offer.

Luckily, the Louboutin magic doesn't have to be out of reach for the budget-conscious: if you're hankering for a red soled heel, but can't pay the retail cost, I'd like to introduce you to eBay.